1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a method and apparatus which can be used on site to provide a permanent heat transfer between a flock material and a cloth surface for applying graphics thereto, and specifically, to a method and apparatus that is portable and allows one to apply flock material graphic designs to automobile seats, truck seats, upholstery, or other on site applications.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The affixing of decorative graphics such as letters or logos to fabric or cloth surfaces is well known. Typically, the graphic can be sewn on if the fabric surface can be fed into a sewing machine. Often it is desirous to attach a graphic display that shows a personal logo or name in order to customize automobile seats in one's car. Heretofore, the permanent application of such a graphic has been a complex problem requiring that the vehicle seat be removed from the vehicle and transferred to an operational site where high pressure applicators are used to transfer the graphic onto the cloth, upholstery surface. This is a costly and time consuming process.
It is known to attach labels with a hand-held label attaching iron, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,793,112, issued Feb. 19, 1974 to Sontag et al. This is used to attach manufacturers' identification labels to garments. U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,871, issued Sep. 28, 1982 to Lewis et al. discloses a method for decorating textile fabrics which includes a thin, removable layer based on thermoplastic polymer films under the action of heat and pressure. This method shows a transfer of dyes to the fabric. U.S. Pat. No. 4,037,008 issued Jul. 19, 1977 to Tugwell shows a transfer printing process involving heat and pressure transfer. U.S. Pat. No. 4,342,614 issued Aug. 3, 1982 to Vanden Bergh shows a pressure applicator for graphics transfer that is a hand-held device that applies a roller pressure on tape surfaces.
None of the devices in the prior art show a method and device for permanently applying and affixing a fabric tufted flock material, cut in a graphic design, to a cloth surface such as an automobile seat that can be done quickly and efficiently on site and without the application of extreme pressure and with the use of a small, hand-held tool. Using the present invention, the heat transfer flock material can be readily precut to any graphic design from a standard sheet of material and applied on location by the applicator permanently to a cloth surface.